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Description

It's rare for a C3 Corvette to have a contemporary look, but the clean two-tone finish on this 1981 Corvette certainly makes it easy to forget about disco and remember that the 'Vette is a sports car first and foremost. Oh, and if you add in a fuel-injected and supercharged L98 from a C4, you get a car with classic good looks and the performance it always deserved.

Fortunately, the color is correct code 33/38 Silver over Dark Blue so this Corvette looks very authentic as it sits. We believe it is original paint but still looks excellent, with that bright silver metallic paint emphasizing the C3's outrageous curves. It was purchased by the current owner in 1999 and given a deep cleaning so it looks quite good today, which is surely due to the fact that most Corvettes like this get more than their fair share of care. The look is clean and restrained and certainly not as flashy as some of the '70s designs that flowed out of GM design studios at the time, and a few custom touches such as the single-color taillights give it a slightly custom look. Fit and finish are about what you'd expect for a hobby-grade Corvette that's ready to drive and enjoy: so nice that it attracts a lot of attention on the street, but not so perfect that you're afraid to drive it if the weather report is sketchy. If you want an entry-level 'Vette that's a little unusual and a lot attractive, this is an excellent choice.

The unusual blue cloth interior is also nicely finished and is how this car was originally delivered. The driver's seat shows only minor wear while the rest looks almost completely untouched, which is truly remarkable for cloth upholstery! The carpets, door panels, and dash pad are equally nice and the leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel feels great in your hands. The gauges are comprehensive, as they are in any Corvette, with the only notable upgrade is a boost gauge on the A-pillar, which we'll talk about in a moment. A Kenwood AM/FM/cassette stereo fits so well you'd almost think it was designed for the Corvette, and the factory shifter now controls four gears instead of the usual three. Options include A/C, power windows and locks, cruise control, and a tilt column, which is how most Corvettes came from the factory and all of it works. The T-tops remain in excellent shape and provide a nice alternative to the convertible, which had been gone for six years by the time this car was built.

The original engine was tired, so a late-model Corvette L98 was sourced, rebuilt, bored to 355 cubic inches, and dropped between the frame rails. The bottom end was balanced and topped with a set of ported heads, a roller LT1 camshaft and rockers, and topped with a factory fuel injection system and an MSD ignition system. On top of that, a Vortech supercharger blows 12 pounds of boost into the stout small block, making for a very entertaining vintage 'Vette. It's also bulletproof reliable, never overheats, and goes about its business as if the factory built it that way. The same C4 donated its 700R4 4-speed automatic transmission with a heavy-duty rebuild inside, and it feeds the original rear end, which has a Posi unit inside. The chassis is impressively clean for being more than 30 years old and uses a beautifully built custom dual exhaust system with long-tube headers and even a pair of mini cats for emissions. Beautiful slotted alloys are some of the most attractive Corvette wheels ever made and they wear fat 255/60/15 Goodyear radials.

This is a heavily documented entry-level Corvette that provides the performance and look you've been looking for. Call today!